In Hollywood, the conversation around wellness has taken a dramatic shift, moving from traditional diets and exercise routines to the candid discussion of weight loss medications by some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
One such medication at the forefront is Ozempic, a brand name for the diabetic drug semaglutide.
Originally designed to boost insulin levels and reduce blood sugar in diabetics, this injectable medication has found a secondary use in the celebrity circuit due to its ability to slow digestion and extend feelings of fullness, leading to weight loss.
Despite its popularity, Ozempic isn't free from controversy or complications. The medication is not officially approved for weight loss and comes with a slew of potential side effects that have turned some away.
Moreover, its widespread use has led to shortages, affecting those who rely on the drug for diabetes management.
The allure of Ozempic and its counterparts like Wegovy and Mounjaro has not waned, drawing a bevy of stars who have openly shared their experiences with these drugs.
"All drugs have side effects so every high blood pressure drug, diabetic drug, has side effects, but you'd be shocked how limited the side effects are for these anti-obesity drugs and we've learned just in the past eight months how to prescribe them, how to advise patients to use them,” Dr Terry Dubrow tells HELLO!
“The key thing people need to understand is don't use bootleg compounded semaglutide (also known as Ozempic), get only the prescription because they're not using real generic Ozempic, they're using stuff made in some back alley laboratory somewhere. Don't buy it at a compound pharmacy."
Here’s what some celebrities had to say:
Kelly Clarkson
In a heartfelt discussion with Whoopi Goldberg, Kelly revealed her journey with weight loss medications. "My doctor chased me for like two years, and I was like, 'No, I'm afraid of it,'" she shared. Despite her initial reservations due to thyroid concerns, Kelly found a medication that worked for her, aiding in sugar breakdown—a task her body struggled with. "Mine is a different one [medicine] than people assume, but I ended up having to do that too because my bloodwork got so bad," she added.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi has been transparent about her success with the weight loss drug Mounjaro, telling Kelly Clarkson about the significant impact it has had on her health, helping her lose the weight of "almost two people."
"I'm doing that wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help and it's been really good for me," she said. "It's all the weight I've lost."
Oprah Winfrey
Long an advocate for healthy living, Oprah recently opened up about her use of weight loss drugs as a tool to manage her weight fluctuations. "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like a gift," she told People. Oprah's narrative has shifted from viewing these aids as an "easy way out" to embracing them as a legitimate tool in her health arsenal.
Rebel Wilson
Rebel used semaglutide temporarily to support her weight loss, primarily for fertility reasons. She highlighted the dual pressures of personal health goals and the entertainment industry's typecasting, which often preferred her at a higher weight. "Someone like me could have a bottomless appetite for sweets, so I think those drugs can be good," she told The Sunday Times. "Basically no one apart from my mom wanted me to lose weight," Rebel said. "People thought I’d lose my pigeonhole in my career, playing the fat funny character, and they wanted me to continue in that."
Sharon and Kelly Osbourne
Both mother and daughter have navigated their own paths with weight loss drugs. Sharon disclosed losing too much weight on Ozempic, while Kelly has praised the drug's effectiveness, despite not confirming her personal use. "I lost 42 pounds now and it's just enough," Sharon told Piers Morgan's podcast. "I didn't actually want to go this thin, but it just happened and I'll probably put it all on again soon."
"There are a million ways to lose weight, why not do it through something that's isn't as boring as working out? Kelly told E! News
"The people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can't afford it. Unfortunately, right now it's something that is very expensive but it eventually won't be because it actually works."
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea inadvertently started on Ozempic through her anti-aging doctor and decided to stop once she became aware of the ethical implications, given the shortages affecting those with diabetes. "I didn't even know I was on it," she said on Chelsea Handler: On the Call Her Daddy podcast, adding her "anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody"
"I'm not on it anymore. That's too irresponsible," she said. "I'm an irresponsible drug user, but I'm not gonna take a diabetic drug. I tried it, and I'm not gonna do that. That's not for me. That's not right for me."
Amy Schumer
Amy’s brief trial with Ozempic ended due to severe side effects that interfered with her quality of life, prompting her to speak out against the omerta around its use in Hollywood. "Like a year ago, I tried it," she said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. "I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn't play with my son."
“Everyone has been lying saying, 'Oh smaller portions,'" she added. "Like shut the f-up. You are on Ozempic or one of those things or you got work done. Just stop."
James Corden
The former late-night host revealed on his podcast, This Life of Mine, that he had tried Ozempic and ultimately gave it up after coming to a big realization. "It won't be surprising to you when you look at me now that it didn't really work," James said.
"What I realized was I was like, 'Oh no, nothing about my eating has anything to do with being hungry,'" he added. "All this does is make you feel not hungry. But I am very rarely eating [just because of hunger]. It is not that; it's something else."
James also revealed his struggles with binge eating in the episode; similarly, he told The Sun in 2022 that dieting is not the answer to healthy weight loss. "The notion of going on a diet is everything that is wrong because, at some point, you are going to revert."
"It's like Dry January- it's brilliant if you give up booze for January, but in the back of your mind, you're like, 'Well, in February, I'm going to have a drink'."
Tori Spelling
Tori admitted to using the weight loss drug Mounjaro after struggling to return to her goal weight postpartum in 2017.
"I did Mounjaro, and everyone admits it now. It's a different time, so I don't feel shamed saying that," she said on her podcast, misSPELLING.
"I did whatever anyone told me to do that was safe, and it just wasn't working. The weight wouldn't come off."
The 90210 actress revealed that she lost 40 pounds on the drug and stopped taking it after reaching her goal weight in January this year.
Tracy Morgan
Tracy spoke on the Today show about his Ozempic use after struggling with his weight in the past. "That's how this weight got lost," he said on the show.
"I went and got a prescription, and I got Ozempic. I'm not letting it go. It cuts my appetite in half. Now, I only eat half a bag of Doritos."
The comedian then quipped on The Tonight Show that he could "out-eat Ozempic" and that he "gained 40 pounds" on the drug, comments which he clarified were a joke to E! News, whom he told that he was "glad to use" it.
Rosie O'Donnell
Another Mounjaro user is former The View host Rosie O'Donnell, who shared on TikTok that her doctors prescribed the drug as well as a cholesterol medicine called Repatha; Rosie is a diabetic and takes the prescription medication for her health.
"I'm not eating sugar as much as I can. My appetite has decreased significantly; it's probably the meds," she said in the TikTok. "I really stopped drinking five or six Cokes a day. All I drink is water now…and I'm trying to move more. So, you know all those things combined, that's what it is."
Rosie lost ten pounds after suffering from a heart attack in 2012 at just 50 years old.
Elon Musk
The Tesla founder revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that the secret to his 2022 weight loss was simply "fasting" and Wegovy.
He was one of the first celebs to speak openly about using weight loss drugs, well before the public frenzy around Ozempic.
Elon also said that while he's lost 30 pounds thanks to the drug, it gave him "nasty burps" as a side effect; the father of twelve maintained his goal weight by ensuring there was "no tasty food" near him, according to his tweet.
Boy George
The British singer wrote in his memoir this year that using weight loss drugs helped his confidence grow after years of scrutiny.
"I know I don't enjoy being overweight, and it's something I really want to deal with," he said. "I have struggled with my weight most of my life, and being under public and media scrutiny doesn't help."
He used Ozempic and Mounjaro to lose weight: "Isn't everyone?" he quipped. "Trust me, anyone who was fat last year and is not skinny is on the wonder drug."
"I love food, and I can't control my appetite, but I think I have finally got it under control."
Stephen Fry
The 66-year-old actor revealed on the River Café Table 4 podcast that his experience with Ozempic was less than ideal after losing 77 pounds.
"I tried Ozempic years ago; I'm an early adopter of these things," he said. "I happened to be in America, and I'd read about it, and I asked my doctor in America, my physician as they like to call them, and he said, 'I think I can get you some.'"
He continued: "He tried me on it, and the first week or so, I was thinking, 'This is astonishing. Not only do I not want to eat, I don't want any alcohol of any kind. This is going to be brilliant.'"
All was not as it seemed with the drug. "Then I started feeling sick, and I started getting sicker and sicker and sicker," Stephen said. "I was literally throwing up four, five times a day, and I thought, 'I can't do this.' So that's it."
